Can Reviving a Fascinating Piece of Watch History Restore This Brand’s Former Glory?

In 1960, Accutron introduced the first entirely electronic watch with the Tuning Fork movement, a design so complex it hasn’t been revived until now.

By Brad Lanphear

Published June 9, 2025

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Updated June 9, 2025

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Long before Apple, Garmin, Timex and Casio, Accutron invented the world’s first fully electronic watch.

In 1960, Bulova’s subsidiary introduced the Spaceview with a Tuning Fork movement, which used a vibrating tuning fork stimulated by an electric charge to generate a steady 360-hertz frequency.

The tuning fork created an F-sharp hum that would become the watch’s signature feature. More importantly, the vibration was so consistent that it was accurate within two seconds per day and had a smooth sweeping second hand.

In addition to accuracy, the high-speed vibration made the Tuning Fork far more resistant to impact damage than mechanical movements.

Accutron’s Tuning Fork movement was unlike anything ever created, and its unprecedented accuracy made it valuable to NASA and other engineering organizations during the 1960s.

However, the design was laborious and expensive to produce. Less than a decade later, another innovation would take electronic watchmaking in a completely different direction.

a watch with a clear dial — The new Spaceview 314 will be available in Fall 2025.

In 1969, Seiko introduced the first quartz watch. While it was not as accurate as the Tuning Fork movement, it was far easier and cheaper to produce, quickly making it the standard for electronic timekeeping.

By the mid-1970s, Accutron abandoned the Tuning Fork movement, which was all but buried in the sands of horological history — that is, until now.

Resurrecting a movement

Timekeeping, with watches and otherwise, is dependent on a source of steady and consistent repetition. Whether it is the pendulum on a grandfather clock or the vibration of an atom on an atomic clock, the faster it moves, the more accurate a clock can be, as long as it can continue unabated.

Accordingly, a steadily vibrating tuning fork is a brilliant source for fast and consistent movement. Tuning forks had been used to regulate large clocks for centuries, but miniaturizing the concept with an electronic pulse was revolutionary.

Bulova, Accutron’s parent company, turned to Swiss watch engineer Max Hetzel. He devised a system where the electromagnetic charge of twin coils caused a pair of tuning fork cups to vibrate consistently, keeping the tuning fork vibrating 360 times per second.

Hetzel created a tiny gear with microscopic teeth that was pushed along by the motion of the tuning fork. This created a mechanical motion so smooth and consistent that the beating of the second hand was imperceptible to the human eye, appearing perfectly smooth.

the back of an Accutron watch — The case back is an entirely new design from the original, with a sapphire crystal exhibition window.

As long as the watch’s battery provided power, Accutron’s Tuning Fork movement was accurate to within two seconds per day.

Accutron’s new caliber 314 Tuning Fork movement is nearly identical to the original. Since many parts of the movement are so delicate, the entire process must be done by hand.

The front of the watch is a mirror image of the original 1960 Spaceview, but the back has a new design. Most notably, the crown has been moved from the case back to a traditional four o’clock location.

Rather than accessing the battery through a round screw-in lid with a screwdriver slot, the entire movement can be viewed and accessed through an exhibition case back secured with four screws.

Reviving a brand

Citizen, which now owns Accutron by way of Bulova (which it acquired in 2007), has made strides in reviving the brand’s former glory, but it still lacks the respect and notoriety it held in the 1960s and early 1970s.

A Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Spaceview, built to the original specs, was released in 2010. Then, in 2020, Accutron rebooted the Spaceview collection with a new Electrostatic movement that did not have the same impact as the original Tuning Fork design.

an Accutron watch with a clear dial — The Spaceview 314 comes on a brown, blue or black leather strap.

This faithful reproduction of the Tuning Fork movement with the new caliber 314 might be enough to restore the Spaceview and, in turn, help Accutron get closer to its halcyon heyday. More than half a century later, the incredible accuracy and perfectly smooth sweep of the second hand are still impressive.

Availability and pricing

Accutron has not set a specific release date for the Spaceview 314, but it will be sometime in Fall 2025. It is not a limited edition, but supplies will be limited due to the laborious nature of the manufacturing process.

It will be available in a steel case with two different chapter ring colors, a titanium case and a solid gold case. With prices ranging from $5,990 to $31,500, Accutron will be aiming to crack a crowded luxury market.

Accutron Spaceview 314

Specs

Case Size	39mm
Movement	Accutron caliber 314 tuning fork
Water Resistance	30m

$5,990 at Accutron

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.